Northern CAN says nothing has changed under new NSA

2012-08-09
THE GUARDIAN Newspaper

WORRIED by the rising cases of violence in the country, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has said the security challenges go beyond who occupies the post of the National Security Adviser (NSA).

They said the replacement of the former NSA, Gen. Andrew Owoye Azazi, had not brought an end to the spate of bombings and killings in the country.

Also, CAN may apply to bear arms during church services as a way of self-defence against attacks in worship places.

Speaking with The Guardian in Ilorin on the development, the Assistant General Secretary of the 19 Northern States and Abuja, Rev. Cornelius Fawenu, said the CAN could no longer fold its arms watching its members being brutally killed “without the culprits being brought to book.”

According to Fawenu, “we have all seen now that the problem at hand surpasses who serves as the NSA to the President. With the arrival of the new man, it appears the situation is degenerating.

“The ill-wind that is blowing over Nigeria is ominous and if prompt care is not taken, the unexpected may happen. We are not talking of development again, all we care for now is how to guarantee security of lives and property.”

The CAN, therefore, urged the Federal Government to halt its tough-talking attitude each time an unprovoked attack is carried out, adding: “what the government should do on time is to have the courage to expose those behind the senseless killings”.

The Christian body, while describing some political leaders of northern extraction as insincere over finding a lasting solution to the insecurity in the country, added that the group behind the violence should be tagged terrorists.

While keeping the nature of the arms to apply for secret, the CAN said unless the application was granted, it might no longer have control over any of its members wanting to apply any means to defend himself.

The body, having critically examined the injunctions in the book of Nehemiah, said arms-carrying strictly for defence purposes by Christians was Biblical. It cited the actions of the Jews while rebuilding the broken walls of Jerusalem under the spiritual leadership of Prophet Nehemiah.

The churches may constitute their own armed squads with the needed military training, but only for the purposes of safeguarding their members during services.